She Shoots, She Scores!
by QQSuited
Summary: Second in the Maggie's Girl Series. Miranda is 7 now and playing in her first hockey game. How will Bianca handle watching her little girl playing hockey? How will Maggie keep Bianca in control? How good will Miranda play? Enjoy!


A/N: The second installment of the _Maggie's Girl_ series. Miranda's now 7 and playing in her very first hockey game. I hope you enjoy...

Disclaimer - I own not Bianca, Maggie nor Miranda. For entertainment purposes only. It would do you no good to sue me. So, please... don't.

**She Shoots, She Scores!**

The door opened so hard it bounced off the wall, almost coming back toward the door frame with more force than when it was flung open.

"Bianca..."

"She was bleeding, Maggie. _Bleeding_!"

"It didn't hurt, Momma," Miranda informed her mother over her puffy lower lip.

"Blood!" Bianca railed. "She was bleeding blood!"

"It was cool, wasn't it, Maggie?"

"No, it wasn't!" Bianca shrieked, storming off toward the den.

"Not helping, Munchie," Maggie said softly, dumping Miranda's CCM equipment bag in the entry hall.

"Sorry, Mags."

"Why don't you go take a shower, Sweetie? You're probably sweaty."

Miranda scuffed her toe into the marble floor. "Okay..."

Maggie watched as the little girl made her way up the stairs. "Hey, Miranda?"

"Yeah?" Miranda replied, turning to face her hero standing in the hallway below her.

"You were great today."

A grin split the child's face from one ear to the other. "Thanks, Maggie!" she exclaimed before turning and racing upstairs to take a nice hot shower.

Maggie walked into the den and found Bianca standing behind the couch, holding a picture frame in her hand. "Hey B?"

Bianca placed the frame back on the table. Silently, she walked around the couch and sat down, prompting Maggie to join her.

"Are you okay?" Maggie asked, pulling Bianca into her arms.

"No," the brunette replied, crossing her arms over her chest and attempting to sit stiffly in Maggie's embrace.

"Oh, come on, B. You have to admit, it was a good game. And it was just a little bit of blood."

Bianca rolled her eyes...

---

Two hours earlier:

Maggie adjusted Miranda's helmet, tightening the strap a little more. "How does that feel, Champ? Not too snug?"

"No, Maggie," the little girl responded, the metal cage of her helmet flipped up so Maggie could work. "It feels good."

"Okay, good." She straightened the Red, white and blue Volants jersey over Miranda's pads, grinning at the stitched on number 11, knowing Montgomery-Stone was similarly sewn onto the back. "Now, remember what we worked on?"

Miranda looked intently into Maggie's eyes, thinking about everything they had discussed over the last few days. "Stay low and to the stick side, don't get caught in the corner and don't be afraid to use a wrister if I have to."

Maggie grinned. "That's my girl!" She held up her hand. "High five." Miranda smacked Maggie's open palm with her gloved hand. "Go get 'em, Boom Boom."

Miranda returned Maggie's grin happily. "Thanks, Maggie!"

"Miranda!" Maggie called before the child took the ice. The little girl turned back to her with a questioning look. "No matter what happens," Maggie said softly, "your Momma and I are proud of you." Then she winked. "Now, go kick their butts!"

"Okay!"

With that, Miranda vaulted out the door and onto the ice, skating quickly to her teammates. Maggie felt her eyes burning, smarting with tears at her wonderful little girl. Wiping her eyes before anyone noticed, she quickly turned to the stands and made her way to Bianca's side.

---

Bianca sat nervously on the metal bleacher, her legs crossed and her foot swinging anxiously back and forth. She had a death grip on the edge of the bench she was seated on, her eyes glued to her daughter skating easily over the ice.

"She's so small," she moaned, watching the tiny figure dart around her teammates. "She's gonna get killed. Nope, that's it, she's done. This game and then she quits. I'm putting my foot down. I don't care if she's good enough to play in the NHL, she's quitting after today."

"She's not quitting, Bianca" Maggie said as she slid onto the bench beside the brunette and held out a cup of fragrant, fresh-brewed coffee. "Please, Honey, just relax."

Bianca looked at Maggie like she'd grown a second head. "Relax?!" she squeaked. "You want me to _relax_?! Our daughter is about to get squashed like a bug and you want me to_relax_?!"

"Okay, that's it," Maggie muttered, taking the cup back from Bianca. "No more caffeine for you."

Bianca slapped at Maggie's hands. "Give me that," she snapped, reaching to recover the cup from the blonde. "If I have to watch my daughter getting crushed, I'm going to need sustenance."

Rolling her eyes, Maggie let go of the cup and turned her attention back to the rink. The teams were each huddled around their benches, getting last minute instructions before taking the ice to start the game. The Volants skated out to take their positions and Maggie let loose an ear-piercing whistle.

"Allez, Volants!" she shouted.

"Maggie, she's taking the face off!" Bianca exclaimed as Miranda skated to the center circle. "Why is she taking the face-off?!"

"She's the center, Bianca. Plus, she's the best on the team at face-offs. She wins about 85 percent of them in practice."

"That's practice!"

"Just watch, Binks."

The puck was dropped and Miranda smacked it away almost instantly. Maggie gave Bianca a smug little grin.

"Yeah, yeah..."

"Oh, come on, Bianca. At least _try_ to enjoy the game."

Bianca sighed. "Okay."

---

The first period was relatively tame, with Miranda and a slender young boy named Christian Le Fevre, one of her linesmates, taking control of the game. It was obvious that Miranda was head and shoulders better than everyone else on the ice, her skill a natural ability that she didn't even have to think about. The other team realized it quickly and their coach made sure someone was always marking Miranda whenever the Volants had the puck.

The period ended without either team scoring.

As the teams skated off the ice for intermission, Miranda looked up at her mother and Maggie. She smiled and waved a gloved hand in their direction, sheer joy written across her face.

Behind her, a boy tripped on the edge of the boards and stumbled forward, creating a domino effect that brought down four of his teammates. Miranda walked on, completely unaware of the tumbling taking place behind her.

After the Zamboni had cleaned the ice and intermission ended, the teams returned to the rink, warming up for a few minutes before the second period began. Miranda took the face-off and won it again, actually bringing a cheer from her mother in the bleachers. When the child stole the puck and started an odd-man rush, taking a shot that clanged off the pipe, Bianca leapt to her feet.

"Way to go, Miranda!" she shouted. She caught Maggie looking at her and she quickly sat down, crossing her legs rather primly. "It's kind of an exciting game, isn't it?"

Maggie just grinned. "Yeah," she replied knowingly. "It is."

The game went back and forth for most of the second period with the Volants holding a slight advantage in puck control. It was obvious Miranda was the leader of the better team.

At the 10 minute mark, the puck suddenly came loose in the Rouen end and was quickly cleared out to center ice to Christian, one of Miranda's closest friends on the team. He turned up-ice quickly.

Miranda quickly crossed the blue line with Christian on the odd-man rush, waiting for the pass she could put a good, hard shot on. Just as Christian sent her the puck, Miranda was knocked quickly to the ice by a defenseman on the other team.

Maggie jumped up. "That's checking!"

"Hey!" Bianca shrieked, leaping up beside Maggie. "Watch it, you bully!!"

Maggie grabbed Bianca's sleeve and yanked her back down onto the bleachers. "Bianca, please."

"Maggie! Did you see what that kid did to Miranda? He's got to be 2 years older than her and outweigh her by 30 pounds!"

On the ice, Miranda quickly scrambled back up onto her skates and took off after the loose puck, skating past the defenseman who had taken her down and giving him an innocent nudge with her shoulder. The kid tumbled unceremoniously to the ice.

"Nice one, Munchie!" Maggie shouted down to their daughter. "See, Bianca? She's fine."

"Yeah, well, I think someone needs to have that kid tested for steroid use." She wiped her hands officiously. "He's probably already shaving..."

"Honey, you need to relax. She can't get hurt, there's absolutely no body-checking in pee-wee hockey."

Bianca snorted. "I don't think I like the phrase 'pee-wee hockey'."

"Well, good," Maggie replied, her eyes never once leaving Miranda on the ice. "Because technically, she's playing Mite hockey."

"Maggie, you're really not helping."

Maggie grinned and glanced over at her partner. "The Kane is really coming out in you, isn't it?"

"Oh, bite me," Bianca growled, her eyes checking Miranda for visible signs of injury. Then she rolled her eyes. "Okay, yeah, a little…"

Suddenly, Miranda made a nifty move on the ice and poke-checked the puck away from the Rouen right winger, quickly skating off in a breakaway, heading straight for the Rouen netminder.

Maggie leapt to her feet. "Go, Miranda!" she shouted. "Go!"

Before anyone could react, she shot a quick one right past the goalkeeper, bouncing off the back of the net after sliding right through the five hole.

"Yes!" Maggie exclaimed as the rest of the Volants parents jumped to their feet cheering.

"Yeah!!" Bianca shouted, on her feet at Maggie's side. "Miranda! Yeah!" She then grabbed Maggie and planted a big ol' wet one on her lips. "That's our daughter!" she proceeded to inform everyone. "That's my daughter!!" She turned to the parents sitting behind them. "C'est ma fille!"

"Nice shot, Munchie!" Maggie shouted as Miranda was mobbed by her teammates.

"Yay, Miranda!" Bianca exclaimed, as Miranda glanced up at them and gave them a nonchalant wave.

"Okay, Sweetie," Maggie murmured, pulling Bianca back down to the bleachers with her. "Now her parents are embarrassing her. Let's sit down."

"Okay, okay." She allowed Maggie to tug her back down onto the cold metal bench. "Whoo! Whoo! Whoo!" she shouted as an after-thought, Arsenio-like with fist pump included. She smiled at Maggie. "This is a really good game!"

Miranda had scored again a few minutes later then the wheels came off the Rouen team. Christian scored, then the Volants defenseman, Patric Choumenard, knocked one in.

One of the larger players for Rouen took exception after the face-off and put a stick out in front of Miranda as she raced into the offensive zone, clearly taking a skate out from under the girl.

"That's tripping!" Maggie screamed, leaping to her feet as she watched Miranda hit the ice hard. "Come on, that's a penalty! What are you, blind?!?!"

"Miranda!" Bianca shrieked, watching as her daughter was knocked down hard. She looked up at Maggie and pointed toward the rink. "He knocked her down!"

"Blow the whistle!"

"He knocked her down! Did you see that?! Good grief!! He did that on purpose!"

Suddenly, Maggie remembered her French. "Êtes-vous aveugle?!" she bellowed.

"Maggie!" Bianca exclaimed, seeing Miranda still lying on the ice below.

Maggie stopped yelling at the referee and took Bianca's hand. "I'll go check on her, you stay here."

Bianca just nodded as Maggie hurried down the bleachers to the ice. The coach was already at Miranda's side as the little girl got gamely to her feet. Maggie waited at the bench for them to make their way off the ice. Miranda skated to the boards then hopped into the bench area.

"Ça va?" Etienne asked Miranda, checking her over for injuries. "Ça va, Miranda?"

"Oui," Miranda replied. "I'm okay." She saw Maggie at the railing and walked over to her. "Didja see that?" she asked the blonde indignantly. "That dork tripped me."

Maggie fought back a grin. "Yeah, Champ, I saw it. Are you sure you're okay?"

Miranda sighed. "Yeah, I'm okay."

"Well, just to humor your mother, let's take a look, alright?"

"Alright." She lifted her chin so Maggie could undo her chinstrap.

"Oh, sweetie," Maggie said softly as she lifted Miranda's helmet off her head. "How did you do that?"

"Do what?"

"You bit your lip." Pulling a napkin out of her jacket pocket, she wiped at the drop of blood on Miranda's lower lip. "Didn't you feel it?"

"Huh-uh," the child replied. "I musta hit my chin when I was tripped."

"Is that blood?!?!" Bianca exclaimed from over Maggie's shoulder.

"Oh, no," Maggie groaned, rolling her eyes at Miranda.

"That's blood!"

"Wow, and they say _I'm_ the doctor," Maggie cracked, giving Miranda a wink. Miranda grinned back, causing the little cut on her lip to open again and offer up another small drop of blood. "Oops. You okay, Champ?"

"Yeah, Maggie, I'm fine."

"She's bleeding, Maggie!"

Maggie gave Miranda a quick once-over, checking for other signs of injury. "You gonna be okay? Want to keep playing?"

"I can't believe she's bleeding, Maggie!"

Miranda nodded. "Yeah, Maggie, I'm okay. I want to play."

"Okay, if you're sure."

"She's going to need stitches, isn't she?! Stitches!"

"Yeah, I'm sure. It doesn't even hurt."

"Next thing you know, she's going to lose her teeth!"

Maggie settled Miranda's helmet back on her head. "Be careful, Munchie, it's starting to swell up."

"Okay, so they're her baby teeth, but still!"

"Didja like my goal?"

"She's bleeding… my baby is _bleeding_!"

"It was a nice shot, kiddo. Right through the five hole."

"She couldn't play tennis, could she? Oh, no, it has to be hockey!"

"I can do it again, wanna see?"

"Little white skirts, tennis shoes… a _country club_!"

"Tell you what, Munchie, one more goal gives you a hat trick. I'll buy you something if you get that hat trick."

"But no, it's gotta be hockey. In a stinky ice rink!"

"Do I get to pick?"

"It smells like feet in here."

"Yep."

"Feet!"

"Cool!" Knocking the helmet's cage down over her face, Miranda scampered back to the bench, ready to take the ice once more.

Before she reached her team, the coach motioned her out onto the ice. She went with abandon.

---

"And she got the hat trick, didn't she?" Maggie reminded Bianca as they sat together in the den.

Bianca sighed. "Yes, she did. But Maggie-."

"And all she wanted was McDonald's. I need to talk to her about hat trick rewards."

"And did you see the size of her lip? It looks like a pool float!"

"I had to practically carry you out of the rink, Bianca. I didn't know if you were going to attack that kid or pass out from the blood."

"My baby was bleeding!"

"We need to work on your amazing ability to over-react."

"Well, that kid was as graceful as a hippo on skates. And do they have to be so pushy?"

"Hello,_hockey_."

"She was so small compared to the other players."

"She didn't lose an eye or blow out a knee, or get disfigured in any way."

"She was bleeding, Maggie!"

"Bianca, she accidentally bit her lip. It was three drops of blood, max."

"It was _blood_!"

Maggie's eyebrows knitted. "Although, I don't know how she did it with a mouthpiece in..."

"_Bleed. Ing!_"

"Are you gonna to make me quit, Momma?" a tiny voice asked from the doorway.

Bianca and Maggie both stopped dead, then turned to see Miranda standing there in her PJ's, her favorite stuffed animal in her arms. When Bianca glanced at Maggie, all she got was a questioning look in return.

"Miranda-."

"I won't quit!" Miranda exclaimed defiantly. "I won't! You always tell me not to quit!"

"She's got a point, Binks."

"But Sweetie, you got hurt today."

"No, I didn't! I askadentally bit my lip!"

"Miranda, honey-."

"No, Momma!"

"Miranda Mona Montgomery-Stone!"

"I won't quit and you can't make me!"

"Don't try me, young lady!"

"Stop it!" Maggie shouted, leaping to her feet. "Right now, both of you, stop it!" She turned to their daughter. "Go to bed, Miranda, it's late."

"But Maggie-."

"Go on, Champ. I promise you won't have to quit."

"Thanks, Maggie!" Miranda whooped before racing out of the den. Her pounding footsteps could be heard thundering up the stairs.

"Maggie!" Bianca exclaimed. "Don't promise her that!"

"I_am_ promising her that," Maggie informed the brunette. "You're not making her quit, Binks. She loves the game and she's good at it."

"But Maggie!"

"No buts, Bianca, she's not quitting. And she's right, you're the one always telling her not to quit when things get too tough."

Bianca softened a little bit. "But she was bleeding..."

Maggie smiled gently and pulled Bianca into her arms. "This blood thing has you really freaked, doesn't it?"

"She was _BLEEDING_!"

"Bianca?" Maggie whispered softly.

"What?"

"Is it because Miranda was bleeding or because the sight of blood grosses you out?"

"What?!" Bianca sat up and busied herself with brushing her hair out of her eyes. "Please..."

"Oh, my God! Ten years we've known each other and I never knew you were afraid of the sight of blood!"

"Shut up."

Suddenly, Maggie grinned. "I'll make you a deal."

"What kind of deal?" Bianca replied, her arms crossed over her chest in mild indignation.

"Let her keep playing."

Bianca sat there, waiting. Nothing. She gave Maggie a look. Nothing. "Okay,_and_?!" she exclaimed, throwing her arms wide. "Because that isn't much of a deal, Stone!"

Maggie sighed. "Bianca, it's hockey. It's a contact sport and things are bound to happen."

"You know, if you're trying to convince me to let her keep playing, you're doing a really bad job of it."

"Okay, then, would you rather she be taking piano lessons, wearing tutu's and... and figure skates, going to afternoon teas and being all prissy? You want her to be a mini-Erica Kane?"

"Well, no..." Bianca rolled her eyes. "Sorry, mom."

"Then let her keep playing. If she wants piano lessons later, let her take them, but don't take this away from her."

"Dammit, Maggie..."

"I'd promise anything I could to make sure she doesn't get bloody again, but you know I can't do that. But, honey, she'd run the risk of scrapes and court burns if she were playing tennis."

Bianca blushed. "You heard that?"

Maggie grinned. "I heard it all. It was kinda hard to miss."

"Yeah, well, she was bleeding!"

"Kids get hurt, Binks. It's a part of life." Maggie gave Bianca a thoughtful look. "I seem to remember a scar you have... you know the one... on your-."

"Okay! Okay!"

"Then you'll let her keep playing?"

Bianca looked at Maggie for a long time. Long enough that Maggie began to worry that she'd say no. Finally, Bianca rolled her eyes again.

"Oh, alright."

"Yes!" Miranda said to herself outside the den, where she was hiding behind the door to listen to Maggie argue on her behalf. She gave a grin and a little fist pump, then quickly snuck back upstairs. She knew she could count on her Mags. With a satisfied smile, she crawled into bed and snuggled down, quickly falling asleep and dreaming of her first game on the ice.

---

"Thank you, Bianca," Maggie whispered. She leaned in and kissed the brunette on the lips. "You won't be sorry, I promise you. That kid is one hell of a hockey player."

"Yeah, yeah..."

"You're a good mom, you know that?"

"Okay, enough, already, you won. She can keep playing."

"I'm serious, you're a good mom."

"Oh, shut up," Bianca snapped, pulling Maggie towards her by the front of her Rangers jersey. Their lips collided as Bianca lay back on the sofa, pulling Maggie down with her.

Maggie pulled back for a moment. "You won't be sorry about this, Boom-Boom," she said softly. "That little girl is going to be great. And by the time she's done, you won't mind the blood so much."

"Blood?"

"Miranda is the best little hockey player in Paris. She's going to be famous. Other little girls are going to want to be her. All the little boys are going to be afraid of her. She will rule the hockey world."

"Maggie?"

"Yeah?"

"You really need to learn when to quit, you know that?"

"Only sometimes," Maggie assured her, capturing Bianca's lips again. "But not right now."

"No," Bianca agreed, pulling Maggie to her once more. "Not right now."

The End... Again...

Well, until Miranda wins that Gold Medal...


End file.
